OLED projects

OLEDs is a complex technology - and an expensive one to research and develop. Because of this, there are several joint-venture OLED project - researching OLED displays and lighting. We provide here a comprehensive list of all projects related to OLEDs.

Exploration of quantum materials – New paths to realizing innovative optoelectronic components (ELQ-LED) is a joint-project supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and led by Merck with an aim to conduct basic research on quantum materials as light emitting sources. ELQ-LED is a three-year project that will end on the summer of 2020.

The HyperOLED Project aims to develop materials and matching device architectures for high-performance, hyperfluorescence OLED emitters. These OLED emitters will be realized by combining TADF molecular hosts with novel shielded fluorescence emitters, targeting saturated blue emission of very high efficiency at high brightness. The project will also achieve efficiency gains through molecular alignment to enhance light outcoupling.

The project aims to integrate multiple blue and white stack unit prototypes (2 x 2 mm² in size on 30x30mm glass substrates) will be integrated into a high-brightness OLED microdisplay based on MicroOLED's 0.38" WVGA backplane.

The PI-SCALE project aims to to create a European-wide pilot line which will enable companies of all sizes to quickly and cost effectively test and scale up their flexible OLED lighting concepts and turn them into market ready products.

PI-SCALE is coordinated by the Holst Centre, and includes 14 partners from five countries - including the UK-based CPI, Fraunhofer, FlexEnable, Audi, Coatema, Emdedesign, DuPont Teijin Films and more. The European Commission contributed €14 million for this project.

Graphted is a UK project that aims to evaluate the potential of graphene as a transparent electrode when dispersed in a polymeric matrix. The one-year long project (which began at April 1st 2015) will start by looking at graphene's use in phototherapy medical devices.

The project is led by PolyPhotonix, who's partnering with Applied Graphene Materials and the CPI.

The 12-month long Gravia project will investigate the feasibility of producing graphene-based barrier films for next generation flexible OLED lighting and display products. Drawing on the unique properties of graphene, 'Gravia' will aim to achieve barrier materials that are not only flexible, but also transparent, robust, and very impervious to many molecules.

The Gravia consortium includes the UK CPI, FlexEnable, the University of Cambridge and the National Physical Laboratory.

The SOLEDLIGHT (Solution Processed OLEDs for Lighting) project was launched in 2015 by the EU with an aim to develop cost efficient, roll-to roll (R2R) solution processed OLEDs, including their integration in prototype multiple-panel OLED lighting systems and luminaires.

SOLEDLIGHT specific target is to develop hybrid and fully R2R solution processed multilayer OLEDs with a power efficiency of over 100 lm/W and a lifetime of over 15,000 hours (at 3,000 cd/m2).

The Korean EnDK project (launched in June 2015) aims to develop a 11K (2250 PPI) mobile display, to enable unique 3D displays for mobile devices (probably based on OLEDs, but that is not certain).

The project partners include 13 companies, led by Samsung Display. The Korean government supports this five-year project via its GiGA Korea initiative with $26.5 million grant. The company aim to show the first prototype by the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

Flexolighting is a EU-funded €4.4 million three-year OLED lighting project that focused on developing new materials, processes and methods to overcome current challenges in OLED lifetime, lighting uniformity and more.

The main target of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of cutting OLED lighting production costs from around €15 for 100 lumens (2015) to around €1 (about $1.17 USD).

The Phebe Project, launched in February 2015, aims to develop and commercialize TADF OLED emitters. This three-year project is being funded by the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 ICT programme.

The project consortium includes Novaled, Astron-FIAMM, TU Dresden, Kaunas University of Technology, Durham University and other companies and universities. TU Dresden is focusing on material design using theoretical quantum chemical approaches, and KTU is elaborating synthetic schemes for exciplex emitters and intramolecular charge transfer materials and synthesizing the most promising compounds. Durham will perform photophysical characterisation of the new materials from Kaunus and will also be in charge of elucidating the mechanisms of TADF to feed into the theoretical work of TU Dresden. Novaled will provide best-fit transport and doping material sets, technology and expert know-how on stack architecture.

The LEO project (Low-cost / energy Efficient OLEDs) was launched in June 2015 with an aim to develop efficient and cost-effective OLED applications for the lighting industry. The three-year project was launched as part of the EU's Horizon 2020 framework with a grant of €4 million.

The project partners are Osram, France's CEA and Italy's CNR, ArcelorMittal, Fundacion Gaiker (as the sustainability experts) and Cynora that will contribute innovative emitter and host materials for OLEDs.

KONFECT (thin glass for glass-polymer laminates) is a German collaborative development project that aims to develop ultra-thin glass on a roll for organic electronics application - with an initial focus on OLEDs. The goal of the consortium is to refine windable glass through lamination with functional adhesive tapes and by applying special functional layers.

The project consortium includes three partners - Schott, tesa and VON ARDENNE, and two sub projects. Schott and tesa will develop reliable encapsulation by combining Schott's flexible glass with tesa's barrier tape. Von Ardenne, meanwhile, is developing a vacuum coating system specifically for roll-to-roll (R2R) coating of flexible glasses.

The LASSIE (Large Area Solid State Intelligent Efficient luminaries) project is a 3-year €3.15 million project funded by the EU that aims to develop hybrid inorganic and organic lighting technologies. The aim is to develop a device with the efficacy and long life of high-power LEDs and the color-tunable diffuse lighting of OLED panels.

The cyFLEX project was launched in September 2013 by Cynora and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT). The project aims to develop flexible and luminescent surfaces for smart packaging and advertising applications based on OLED lighting panels.

The POLEOT (Printing OLED on Textile) project, which concluded on May 2015, developed luminescence OLED-based technology for a wide range of new textile applications and it is supported by Cornet program, German Allianz Industrie Forschung and Flemish Agency for Innovation by Science and Technology.

The cyCESH project aims to research new soluble (printable) materials for low-cost high efficiency OLED lighting devices. The project will develop the mass-market materials and methods for OLED production.

The two-year R2D2 project, launched in October 2013, aims to investigate flexible OLED lighting panels production technologies, including roll-to-roll techniques. One of the main subjects of investigation will be the system integration of flexible OLEDs in automobiles, aircraft and household applications.